Today's Training

[Travs]

14.5 easy miles today across two runs (10.5 AM, 4 PM).

Total for the week of 73.5, which considering blighted by cold the first couple of days, i picked up well. Yesterday's race probably came a day too early, as i feel pretty much fine in the lungs/chest today.

A month into the year and i'm currently averaging just over 72 miles per week, a promising start.

Next week is all focus towards the Long Mynd Valleys Champs race in a fortnight... so a solid week and a half of hard work, then tone it down in 2nd half of following week.

Interestingly i've got some club competition at the Valleys, a guy i've not raced on the fells... he's a far more accomplished runner than me... beat me by close to 4mins at the XC yesterday and is a GB representative veteran triathlete, but not done a lot on the fells.

He's training on the fells with a couple of decent guys and reccying the course today... that all said, if i can keep him within range until the final hour when it gets nasty, i fancy my chances over the steep stuff.

[Travs]

Club session last night, and after a work-induced complete rest day on monday, i was absolutely raring to go. You know when you warm up and can feel you're going to run well... maybe it was the rest, maybe the boost of finally feeling 100% again after last week, maybe the motivation of the upcoming races, who knows...

2 x 2 miles with 3mins rest. Usual tough and hilly circuit, although conditions a bit more favourable than last time... not quite so cold and slippery, but still a bit of headwind down the final half mile.

12:15
12:22

A good 30 seconds quicker than last time, and a full 20 seconds closer than i've ever managed... usually i'd be cursing myself for dropping 7 seconds over the second rep, but given the dramatic upturn in performance, i really can't have any complaints.

Although even 5 minutes after the run and during the warm down, i could feel that i'd pushed very hard, a lot of soreness was building in the legs already. Will be a very easy day today.

11 miles, on top of 5 solid AM miles, gave a very good day.

[mr brightside]

You know when you warm up and can feel you're going to run well...

I know that feeling well; it's been absent since my lung phlegm problem, save for one occasion where i ran a 19.46 at parkrun, the only sub 20 post covid. It's the principle of consciousness being the ground of all being in action.

[Travs]

Another club night and i wondered what tonight would bring, with me still feeling a little sore (but not fatigued) from tuesday night.

5 x 1km with 2mins rests. A long straightish section into a sharp head-wind, then a twisty gravel section to take us back to the start point.

3:33
3:26
3:27
3:28
3:29

Would like to be hitting a few seconds faster on that particular rep, but given the conditions and my legs, it was another pleasing and fairly consistent session.

A tight bunch of 5 of us pushing each other along, although we were down to three by the final couple of reps, when i was starting to pull ahead, making it tough for me to maintain pace on my own(no doubt those falling behind were finding it tougher!)

10 miles on top of 4 steady miles AM. 39.5 miles for the week so far. Might be tempted to split my long run on sunday and jog out to do a fairly brisk 10km or similar.

[Llani Boy]

Last nights RATRun was a return to The Anglers Rest in Millers Dale to rerun the route we first did on our 4th RATRun in 2019.

A dry but breezy evening saw 6 of us head north up the Limestone Way to Monksdale House. Down into Monksdale, up the other side and across fields to Wormhill. More fields to Tunstead, birthplace of the great James Brindley, down Flag Dale and then along the Pennine Bridleway to Mosley Farm. Down the zig zags onto the Monsal Trail and along it back to Millers Dale.

A very enjoyable, nearly all off road, 7.5 miles, 975 feet in 1hr 6 min. Back in the Anglers, very hot chips were washed down with Hen Clould, 3.9% from the Wincle Brewery.

[Travs]

11 miles this morning, but with 5km, 3km, 1km efforts, with 6 minute easy running recoveries between.

5km 19:37
3km 11:26
1km 3:37

And 3 miles very easy tonight to finish off the week at 70.5 miles.

Next week... track session on tuesday, then that's the hard work done and a few days of easy stuff before Long Mynd Valleys next saturday. Then sunday morning off to Fuerteventura for 10 days of good training in the sun

[Travs]

Club night on a very chilly evening. Still feeling a little heavy-legged from sunday's efforts, but one last big effort then can take it easy until saturday.

3 x (5 x 300mtrs)

First set of 300's were 53/54secs.
Second set were 54/55secs
Third set, i was feeling the strain and only did three reps... 55,55,54

For some reason i found myself placed in the 'A' group last night.... which was tough, as everyone else i was repping with was going 50secs or quicker... there were certainly people my speed in the B group, however i seem to be getting known for my consistency and the coach must've been sure i wouldn't drop too far off the back. Whereas some of the others around my pace can be prone to tailing off a little.

Track also started icing up the final 10/15mins which made things a little interesting on the back bend!

A big day, 12 miles for the session on top of 4 easy AM miles. Roll on saturday, the hard work is done and will go out and give it my best with the fitness at my disposal.

[anthonykay]

A 17-minute run with no serious hills yesterday, to test the recovery from my latest calf twinge. No problems during the run, and no stiffness afterwards. So the build-up will continue (I hope), with the prospect of a first race of the year in March.

[Travs]

A 17-minute run with no serious hills yesterday, to test the recovery from my latest calf twinge. No problems during the run, and no stiffness afterwards. So the build-up will continue (I hope), with the prospect of a first race of the year in March.

Just in time to make the squad for TVHH for the 12-Stage Road Relays in April....!

[anthonykay]

Just in time to make the squad for TVHH for the 12-Stage Road Relays in April....!

That word, "Road", guarantees that I won't be there.